ages. In
like manner the promised victory of God's people over them shadows forth
the universal triumph of the kingdom of heaven which is reserved for
"the last days."

Concerning the date of Obadiah's prophecy expositors are not agreed. The
whole question turns upon the interpretation of verses 11-14. That these
contain an historic allusion to the exultation of the Edomites over the
capture and plunder of Jerusalem cannot well be doubted. If this was the
final capture of the city by the Chaldeans, then Obadiah's place will be
after the beginning of the Babylonish captivity. But since no mention is
made of the burning of Jerusalem, some suppose that the prophet refers
to an earlier capture, as that by the Philistines and Arabians under
Jehoram. 2 Chron. 21:16, 17. In favor of this view is urged the fact
that Jeremiah, who was in the habit of using the writings of the earlier
prophets, has much in common with Obadiah.

That Jeremiah borrowed the language of Obadiah is far more
probable than that both prophets availed themselves of an older
document, as some have conjectured. Since, however, Jerusalem
was taken more than once by the Chaldeans before its final
overthrow (2 Kings chap. 24; Dan. 1:1), Obadiah may have
referred to one of these earlier captures, and yet have written
before Jeremiah penned his prophecy against Edom.

V. JONAH.

9. We learn from 2 Kings 14:25 that Jonah, the son of Amittai, was of
Gath-hepher, which is undoubtedly the same as Gittah-hepher, a town of
the tribe of Zebulun in the northern part of Palestine (Josh. 19:13);
and that he predicted the successes of Jeroboam II. According to the
general analogy of Scripture, prophecies like this, relating to one
particular event, are not separated by any great space of time from
their fulfilment. He belongs, therefore, in all probability, to the days
of Jeroboam II, when Amos also flourished. There is no valid reason for
assigning him, as some do, to an earlier date.

10. The story of the book of Jonah is too simple to need any analysis.
His act in fleeing from God's presence, when commissioned to go to
Nineveh with a threatening message, is very extraordinary; but such is
the inconsistency and folly of human passion. The conduct of the
mariners when overtaken by a tempest is not wonderful: it is in harmony
with all that we know of ancient habits of thinking and acting. But what
befell Jonah, when cast into the sea, i